GONIC — Kevin Towle isn’t always a huge supporter of speed. As a driving instructor, he urges would-be motorists to slow it down and stay safe. When he and his family are eating, there’s nothing better than a relaxed, home-cooked meal where everyone participates. He even roasts his own coffee.

“I just like food,” he admits. “Everything is so processed nowadays… fast food. It’s always nice having a family meal.”

Recently the Gonic resident entered the New England Dairy Cook-Off, hosted by Hood. He wowed the judges with his Heaven and Hell Chowder, a creamy, bacony, spiced up shepherd’s pie-inspired bowl of cheesy goodness.

It was tasty enough to win him one of the coveted finalist slots at the competition, attended by Food Network representatives and Billy Costa, host of NECN’s “TV Diner.” Kevin was the winner of the soups and chowders category and was the sole New Hampshire representative.

There were five finalists, each representing their own New England state and a different category: Breakfast/Brunch; Soups/Chowders; Appetizers/Side Dishes; Lunch/Dinner (Entrée); and Dessert.

Kevin lost to Mary Jo Fletcher LaRocco of Rhode Island, for her Cranberry Limoncello Tarts in a Gingersnap Hazelnut Crust, in the dessert category. Mary Jo might have received the grand prize: $10,000, but Kevin still took home $500.

“There’s a bit of spice in the Heaven and Hell Chowder,” Kevin said. “I made it a bit mild. You can always add heat, but you can’t take it out.”

He describes the Heaven and Hell chowder as “more meaty on the bottom, with bigger chunks of peppers and onions… then cheese kind of separates the bottom from the top.”

Kevin wanted his recipe to be quick and easy, considering the hour time limit at the cook-off. He likened the competition to Food Network’s “Chopped,” one of his and his wife Kathy’s favorite television shows. According to Kevin, preparation was the hardest part, especially given that plating isn’t as difficult for a chowder.

He tries to showcase New Hampshire ingredients whenever possible, frequenting farmers’ markets. He buys local bacon and shops at Calef’s Country Store in Barrington for cheese.

“I’ve been cooking since I was a youngster. My mom always encouraged us to be in the kitchen,” he said. “I cook just about anything.”

Like thousands of other competitors, Kevin inputted his hopeful recipes (two) into the cook-off website. An internal judging took place and he was chosen as a semi-finalist. He won his first competition on Oct. 21 and moved onto the finalist round later in the evening.

Submitted recipes must include one or more eligible Hood products and each semi-finalist and finalist was provided an assistant, a culinary student at Johnson & Wales University, during the cook-off events. Hood provided their products for the cook-off, but contestants brought most of the supplies they needed to prepare their dishes.

Last year was Kevin’s first foray into the New England Dairy Cook-Off. He became a semi-finalist with his Mini Feta Basil Cheesecakes with Sun Dried Tomatoes. It was on the drive home from the 2011 event that he came up with the ideas for this year’s entries. As a semi-finalist last year and a finalist this year, Kevin’s recipes are printed in the competition’s cook books. Last year’s is available for download at the cook-off website; this year’s is not yet available.

Kevin admits that he and his family aren’t able to cook together as often as he would like, with today’s hectic pace. His 14-year old son likes to help out in the kitchen, but his two daughters are off at college. The whole family will be around for Thanksgiving and they always like to try out two new dishes on Turkey Day.

Visit www.hood.com/promo/nedco2012/ for more information on the New England Dairy Cook-Off. The competition aired on NECN’s TV Diner on Nov. 10. Visit www.necn.com/tvdiner for more information or to watch the episode.